Astronomical events in 2017

Our dark skies are ideal for viewing the heavens and we have a small reflector
available for your use. There is also plenty of space for you to set-up your own
equipment.

Full Moon

The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face
will be will be fully illuminated.

January 12
February 11
March 12
April 11
May 10
June 9
July 9
August 7
September 6
October 5
November 4
December 3

New Moon

The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be
visible in the night sky.

January 28
February 26
March 28
April 26
May 25
June 24
July 23
August 21
September 20
October 19
November 18
December 18

January 3 - 4

Quadrantids Meteor Shower

The Quadrantids is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak.
It is
thought to be produced by dust grains left behind by an extinct comet known as 2003 EH1,
which
was discovered in 2003. The shower runs annually from January 1-5. It peaks this year on
the
night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. The first quarter moon will set shortly after
midnight
leaving fairly dark skies for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a
dark
location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can
appear
anywhere in the sky.

January 12

Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation

The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 47.1 degrees from the Sun. This
is the
best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the
evening
sky. Look for the bright planet in the western sky after sunset.

February 11

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial
shadow, or
penumbra. During this type of eclipse the Moon will darken slightly but not completely.
The
eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern South America, eastern Canada, the
Atlantic
Ocean, Europe, Africa, and western Asia.

April 1

Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation

The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 19 degrees from the Sun. This
is the
best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the
evening
sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

April 7

Jupiter at Opposition

The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully
illuminated
by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all
night
long. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized
telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A
good pair
of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright
dots on
either side of the planet.

April 22 - 23

Lyrids Meteor Shower

The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its
peak. It is
produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered
in
1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the
night of
the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails
that
last for several seconds. The crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this
year. Skies
should still be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location
after
midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in
the
sky.

April 22 - 23

Lyrids Meteor Shower

The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its
peak. It is
produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered
in
1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the
night of
the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails
that
last for several seconds. The crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this
year. Skies
should still be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location
after
midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in
the
sky.

May 6 - 7

Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower

The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per
hour at
its peak. Most of the activity is seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern
Hemisphere,
the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust particles left
behind by
comet Halley, which has known and observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually
from
April 19 to May 28. It peaks this year on the night of May 6 and the morning of the May
7. The
waxing gibbous moon will block out many of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are
patient, you should be able to catch quite a few of the brighter ones. Best viewing will
be from
a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius,
but can
appear anywhere in the sky.

May 17

Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation

The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 25.8 degrees from the Sun.
This is the
best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the
morning
sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

June 3

Venus at Greatest Western Elongation

The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 45.9 degrees from the Sun. This
is the
best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the
morning
sky. Look for the bright planet in the eastern sky before sunrise.

June 15

Saturn at Opposition

The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully
illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be
visible
all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A
medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn's rings and a few of its
brightest
moons.

July 28 - 29

Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower

The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its
peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs
annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning
of July 29. The crescent moon will set by midnight, leaving dark skies for what should be a
good early morning show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors
will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

July 30

Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation

The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 27.2 degrees from the Sun. This is
the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the
evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

August 12 - 13

Perseids Meteor Shower

The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per
hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The
Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually
from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of
August 13. The waning gibbous moon will block out many of the fainter meteors this year, but
the Perseids are so bright and numerous that it should still be a good show. Best viewing
will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation
Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

September 5

Neptune at Opposition

The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully
illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be
visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its
extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most
powerful telescopes.

September 12

Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation

The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 17.9 degrees from the Sun. This is
the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the
morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

October 7

Draconids Meteor Shower

The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is
produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first
discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the
early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually
from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 7th. Unfortunately, the nearly
full moon will block all but the brightest meteors this year. If you are extremely patient,
you may be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a
dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco,
but can appear anywhere in the sky.

October 19

Uranus at Opposition

The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully
illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be
visible all night long. This is the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will
only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

October 21 - 22

Orionids Meteor Shower

The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is
produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since
ancient times. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. It peaks this year on
the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. The crescent moon will set early in
the evening leaving dark skies for what should be a good show. Best viewing will be from a
dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can
appear anywhere in the sky.

November 4 - 5

Taurids Meteor Shower

The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per
hour. It is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by
dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left
behind by Comet 2P Encke. The shower runs annually from September 7 to December 10. It peaks
this year on the the night of November 4. Unfortunately the glare from the full moon will
block out all but the brightest meteors. If you are extremely patient, you may still be able
to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far
away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear
anywhere in the sky.

November 13

Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter

A spectacular conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will be visible in the evening sky. The two
bright planets will be extremely close, appearing only 0.3 degrees apart. Look for this
impressive pairing in the Eastern sky just before sunrise.

November 17 - 18

Leonids Meteor Shower

The Leonids is an average shower, producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This
shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of
meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001. The Leonids is produced
by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. The shower
runs annually from November 6-30. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and morning of
the 18th. The nearly new moon will not be a problem this year. Skies should be dark enough
for what should be good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.
Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

November 24

Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation

The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 22.0 degrees from the Sun. This is
the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the
evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

December 13 - 14

Geminids Meteor Shower

The Geminids is the king of the meteor showers. It is considered by many to be the best
shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It is
produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered
in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the
13th and morning of the 14th. The waning crescent moon will be no match for the Geminids
this year. The skies should still be dark enough for an excellent show. Best viewing will be
from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but
can appear anywhere in the sky.

December 21

December Solstice

The December solstice occurs at 16:28 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward
the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly
over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of
winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer
solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

December 21 - 22

Ursids Meteor Shower

The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by
dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs
annually from December 17-25. It peaks this year on the the night of the 21st and morning of
the 22nd. The crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for optimal
observing. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city
lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in
the sky.